The continental football governing body yesterday released the provisional list of qualified teams for its two premium club competitions, with KCCA among the 25 teams scheduled for the draws after other leagues are completed and their qualifiers are known.
Caf said the competitions are tentatively scheduled to begin on August 7 if the coronavirus pandemic does not alter plans.
Proline, who were also relegated from StarTimes Uganda Premier League after Fufa invoked the 75 per cent rule to end the season prematurely, are still the defending champions – at least as the Uganda Cup is not officially cancelled. “We are the defending champions [of Uganda Cup] and were still in the competition by the time the ruling was made so we deserve to get the berth,” Proline Director Mujib Kasule told Daily Monitor after KCCA were handed the Confederations Cup ticket.
The winners of Uganda Cup have in the last ten years earned the ticket to Confederations Cup but Fufa have to right to make the decision on which club represents the country Kasule and his Proline team will be even more aggrieved that their protests were completely ignored while that of Ndejje University have been given due attention, with the latest information suggesting the Big League side could be promoted.
Ndejje protested Fufa’s decision to promote UPDF to the topflight arguing that the university side were top of the second tier league by half-way mark and that the rules for cancellation of the league would favour them. Leagues restarting On May 20, Fufa made the unilateral decision to invoke the 75 per cent rule and cancel the league with five rounds of matches to go.
The federation cited the coronarivus pandemic that had placed global sports on ice, with additional excuse that the government was not showing willingness to lift the ban on sporting activities in time to resume and complete the season.
Vipers, who were four points ahead of second-placed KCCA, were named champions and will represent Uganda in Caf Champions League. However, Fufa’s decision has since drawn many queries with European leagues such as German Bundesliga , Portuguese Primera League, Spanish La Liga, and on Wednesday, the English Premier League and at the weekend Italian Serie A all resuming.
The European countries were worst hit than Africa, more so Uganda, registering deaths in hundreds. Uganda has not registered any death. As Fufa met clubs last week and set October 29 as the tentative date for the 2020/21 season restart, some leagues on the continent were instead preparing to restart and complete the season.
Neighbouring Tanzania restarted Saturday with two matches and a further two yesterday while Burundi did not suspend their league and were the only African nation to continue playing when the coronavirus pandemic flared and led every other country in the continent to halt their league.
The Burundian league season ends on June 28 with Le Messager Ngozi currently top of the table by three points with two matches to play.
How leagues stand eSwatini, where Young Buffaloes lead by eight points with eight rounds to play, and Senegal – who have drawn the first seven clubs in a title playoff and relegation contests – are due to resume. In Seychelles, St Michel Utd lead by three points with five rounds to play.
In North Africa, Tunisia’s Esperance lead by 10 points with 10 rounds to play and will also resume in coming weeks.
Other nations such as Botswana (Galaxy lead by a point with 10 matches to play), Madagascar (CNaPS Sport lead with seven matches to play), Mauritius (Grand Riviere Sud East Wanderers and Bolton City share lead with five matches to play) await government clearance for the leagues to resume.
Other nations such as Morocco (Wydad Casablanca lead by one point with 12 matches to play), and Nigeria (Plateau Utd lead by four points with 13 matches to play).
The nations due for restart are completed by Sierra Leone (Kamboi Eagles lead by a point with 13 matches to play), South Africa (Kaizer Chiefs lead by four points with eight rounds left), and Zambia (Forest Rangers lead by a point with 10 to play).
Champions League
Two entrants permitted
Angola- Petro Luanda, Prim. Agosto
DR Congo- TP Mazembe, Vita Club
Guinea- Ashanti Siguiri,Horoya
One entrant
Burkina Faso-Rahimo
Cameroon- PWD Bamenda
Congo Rep- AS Otoho
E. Guinea- Cano Sport
Gambia- Real Banjul
Kenya-Gor Mahia
Malawi- Nyasa Big Bullets
Mozambique- Costa do Sol
Niger- AS Sonidep
Reunion- JS Saint-Pierroise
Rwanda- APR ST
Principe- Agrosport Monte Cafe
Togo- ASKO Kara
Uganda – Vipers
Zimbabwe Platinum
*Ethiopia & South Sudan will not enter clubs
Confederations Cup
Two entrants permitted
Angola- Bravos Maquis, S. Esperanca
DR Congo- Maniema, Motema Pembe
Guinea- Kamsar, Wakriya
Morocco- Tihad Casablanca
One entrant
Botswana-Orapa Utd
Burkina Faso- Salitas
Cameroon- Coton Sport
CAR- Stade Centrafricain
Congo Rep- Etoile Congo
E. Guinea- Akonangui
Gambia- Armed Forces
Malawi- Blue Eagles
Mozambique-UD Songo
Niger- Gendarmerie Nationale
Reunion- Jeanne d’Arc
Rwanda-Rayon Sports
ST Principe- Porto Real
Somalia- Horseed
South Sudan- Al-Rabita
Togo- Unisport Sokode
Uganda- KCCA
*Ethiopia say they will not enter a club
